Timing intercourse stresses men out

Couples who are struggling with infertility may often find themselves watching the clock (and calendar) in order to plan their intercourse. That means that if 1pm on a Tuesday afternoon is peak fertility, then the man had better show up ready at that time.

But a new study finds that it may be difficult for men to be “ready” under these tight guidelines. Over 400 men were surveyed on their opinions and performance regarding timed intercourse.

The study found that the pressures of timed intercourse had serious effects for some men. Ten percent of men admitted to having an affair because of the strict sex scheduling while 40% of men said the stress made them impotent.

These effects are believed to be directly related to intercourse-timing, because as the number of timed sex sessions increased so did the men’s level of stress. Stress has been tied to low testosterone levels in men, which can decrease a man’s libido.

While this type of fertility planning is recommended by physicians to boost couples’ odds of conceiving, a stringent schedule becomes a burden to men who then view the event as work.

Therefore, couples should take regular breaks from timed-intercourse to help ease the burden of sex.